


Acts of Service

by alittlebitalexis



Series: I go you go, my dear [2]
Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Oral Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:48:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29066835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlebitalexis/pseuds/alittlebitalexis
Summary: An encounter with some angry Danes leaves Osferth in need of Eadith's skills as a healer. Osferth later finds a way to serve Eadith in return.
Relationships: Eadith (The Last Kingdom)/Osferth (c. 885-934)
Series: I go you go, my dear [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2132508
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	Acts of Service

**Author's Note:**

> At first, I thought Medicinal Properties was just going to be a one-shot but soon after I posted it, I realized I love these two too much for that. So, this is going to be a series of scenes about Osferth and Eadith's relationship. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> CW: smut. baby monk smut.

Osferth wished he was back on the battlefield. Truly, he did. He somehow found the prospect of dealing with armed, angry, charging Danes less terrifying than Eadith’s silent fury. 

She was standing over him, forcefully ripping up clean linen into strips for bandages. Her mouth was pressed into a thin, tight line, but her eyes were raging at him. Each loud, jarring, tear of the fabric seemed to punctuate her displeasure. 

Osferth opened his mouth to speak. He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say. Part of him wanted to apologize for returning in such a state. But another part of him wanted to protest against her anger. It wasn’t their fault they had happened upon a raiding party. 

On the other hand, it was their fault that they had followed the retreating Danes in such a haphazard and cocky way. Well, not _his_ fault. Uhtred had orchestrated that particular moment of brilliance. And now he was paying the price. 

Osferth shut his mouth and blew out a resigned puff of air through his nose. Best to keep quiet in the absence of a coherent thought.

Best to keep quiet and let Eadith take stock of all his injuries. 

Despite her anger, Eadith was gentle with him. She examined his wounds with soft fingers. She never pressed too hard on the slashes across his body or jerked his sore limbs. She cleaned the blood from his wounds with deliberate delicacy. Osferth figured he couldn’t be in that much trouble if she was taking such care to avoid causing him further pain. 

After Eadith had catalogued all of his injuries and cleaned off the dried blood, it was time to dress his wounds. She crouched before him and grabbed a wooden bowl off of the table behind him. She leaned forward and tipped the bowl, causing Osferth to flinch in anticipation. 

“It is just chamomile. It will not sting.” Eadith reassured. 

He nodded silently and watched as Eadith poured the warm chamomile solution over his arm. He relaxed, finding that it indeed did not sting at all.

Eadith looked up, meeting his gaze. Her face relaxed for a moment. “See, I told you.” Osferth thought he could see the ghost of a smile pulling at her lips.

He ventured a small smile in return, thinking perhaps that Eadith had decided to forgive him. Eadith frowned at him and set her jaw. 

Evidently not. 

As Osferth contemplated how best to win Eadith’s forgiveness, a yelp reverberated through the hall. He turned his head just in time to see Finan jerk his leg out of Alwigh’s hands. A scowl sat prominently upon the other warrior’s face. “Do ya mean to torture me, woman? I had gentler hands from the Dane trying to ram his sword through my belly.”

Undeterred by Finan’s protestations, the old healer grabbed his leg and pulled it towards her. “Quit your whining, Irishman. You are worse than a child.” 

Finan groaned and covered his eyes with his hand as the healer set to work on the laceration. “Am not.” He grumbled petulantly. 

Osferth thought he heard Finan whimper as Alwigh prepared to stitch the wound. 

He quickly turned away from Finan. He thought it best if only Eadith bore witness to his quiet laughter. He didn’t want to kick his friend while he was down. There would be plenty of time to tease Finan later. 

“I’m not quite sure what you find so amusing.” Though Eadith meant to scold him, she sounded rather amused herself. Satisfaction pooled in Osferth’s stomach. For all her efforts, it seemed that Eadith was having a hard time staying mad at him.

He decided to seize on the moment. He opened his mouth to speak, a scathing but loving critique of Finan’s flair for the dramatic at the ready. It was a clever comment. One that would surely make Eadith laugh and earn him her forgiveness. 

But he was pre-empted by Uhtred. Uhtred who did not seem to understand the careful dance he had just interrupted. “Do not be so hard on him, Eadith. The baby monk fought well. He did nothing wrong.”

Osferth grimaced. He knew Uhtred meant well, but he also knew that such a comment would only irritate Eadith. 

Eadith clenched her jaw and wrapped Osferth’s arm a fair bit tighter than necessary. “I know Osferth is not to blame, Lord.” Her eyes flashed up towards Uhtred. “You are, after all, their Lord. It is your doing. And yet here you are, sauntering about the hall unscathed.”

Uhtred stopped in his tracks, finally putting an end to the incessant, pacing vigil he had undertaken since their return. He placed his hands on his hips and eyed Eadith carefully. “We could not just leave the Danes to raid.”

“I understand that. But perhaps you should be a bit more careful.” Eadith’s words were like sharp knocks against a heavy wooden door – hard, but uneven as she tried to temper her tone.

“Injuries happen when you are fighting. It is a fact.”

Osferth reached up and gently placed his hand over Eadith’s before she could retort. Eadith seemed to quiet under his touch and she looked away from Uhtred, turning back to the half-wrapped bandages around his arm. “Very well.” She muttered under her breath. 

Eadith made quick work of the rest of his wounds. Once she was done, she proclaimed that all Osferth needed now was a good night’s rest. She helped him to his feet and gently helped him slip his tunic back over his head. 

“I’ll help you back home.” She insisted, linking her arm with his. 

They crossed the deserted square arm in arm. The village with silent except for the rustling leaves and the chirping of the crickets hiding in the grass. In the distance, he could hear the dull sound of the small fishing boats hitting the dock with each gentle bob of the receding tide. The composition of soft sounds slowly began to drown out the lingering roar of battle that had been ringing in his ears since their return. By the time they made it to the small cottage he called home, the rush of battle had finally washed off. 

He moved into the room and felt Eadith slip her arm from his. He turned, finding her lingering awkwardly in the doorway.

Osferth sighed and slowly lowered himself into one of the chairs that toothed his small kitchen table. “I am sorry.” He wasn’t entirely sure what he was apologizing for, but it was genuine, nonetheless. “Please do not be angry with me.”

“I am not angry with you.”

Osferth cocked his head to the side and smiled, “Well, you certainly had me fooled.”

Eadith sighed and relented. Her ire fell away in one fell swoop as she moved towards him. “I wasn’t angry with you.” She explained. “I was angry at the situation that you just so happened to be part of.”

“Uh-“ Osferth hesitated, “What is the difference?”

Eadith laughed and shook her head. She gripped the back of Osferth’s chair and slowly lowered herself onto his lap. 

Osferth smiled. He knew now that he was fully forgiven for his past sins. He happily wrapped his arms around Eadith’s waist and pulled her closer. Now that he had her in his arms, he was more than happy to listen to her rant at him – or _the situation_ , rather – for as long as she wanted.

“I was angry that you were hurt. Most of the time you come back untouched and I let myself forget that you are actually putting yourself in danger every time you ride out past those gates. And then sometimes, like tonight, you come back with a new cut, stab, or broken bone and I remember that you are not indestructible. And then I begin to worry that one day, you’ll come back with something that I cannot fix.” 

His heart tightened. “Nothing is going to happen to me.” He reassured, keeping his tone as light as he could possibly manage.

“You do not know that.”

He brought one of his hands to Eadith’s face and gently tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I do know that. I am a true warrior, remember?” He teased. “True warriors cannot be felled by a few stinking, marauding Danes.” He grinned and silently prayed that God would hear his words and make them so.

Eadith rolled her eyes and smiled. “If you say so.” She seemed content to accept his reassurance for now. 

Osferth stretched up and placed a short, burst of a peck on her lips. He moved to pull away but Eadith inclined her head and followed him, capturing his lips with her own. 

This kiss felt different than all the others. They had shared many kisses since that first one in the woods a few weeks ago. But they had all had the same sweet and probing feeling to them. This was not that. This was hard, deep, long, and almost frantic. 

He brought his hands up to her face and ran his thumbs across her cheeks. He made an attempt take over and slow the pace that Eadith has set, but she refused to let him take control. 

Osferth pulled back abruptly. “Are you alright, Eadith?” This was all so different that he thought surely something must be wrong.

“I’m fine.” Eadith assured, her hands beginning to toy with the fabric of his tunic. As she teased the hem of his shirt, her fingers slipped under the fabric and tickled his stomach. His abdomen clenched at her touch. Eadith caught his eye and she tugged off his tunic, unceremoniously tossing it to the floor.

Eadith placed her hands on his shoulders and Osferth arched upwards so that he could meet her. He placed his hands firmly against her back and pressed her into him. She was pressed to his chest now but somehow, impossibly, it didn’t seem close enough. He felt his heart race as Eadith ran a hand slowly down his chest, across his abdomen, and lower still. 

“I want this. I want you.”

The words sent a shiver through Osferth’s spine that made his entire body tremble.

“But-“ Eadith hesitated.

Osferth’s eyes sprung open and he pulled back. “Eadith, we will not do anything you do not want to do.”

Eadith smiled and glanced down at the floor. “It is not that.” She chewed at her bottom lip for a moment before looking back up at him. “I have been taken before, but I have not been with someone properly. I want to be with you in the right way, but I do not know if I know how.”

Osferth frowned. Her admission had the strange effect of making him both happy and sad at the exact same time. The bizarre combination turned his insides over. 

He recalled then a conversation they had, had last year – when they had been on the run from her brother. She had said that it was strange to be in the company of men without feeling like a thing to be used. 

Osferth’s frown gave way to a mischievous grin. He thought it was time that he showed her that some men were all too happy to be used for the pleasure of women. He placed an arm under Eadith’s legs and quickly stood up with her in his arms. 

She let out a small, surprised yelp. “Osferth, what are you doing?” 

He looked at her very seriously. “I want you to tell me the moment you want me to stop.”

Eadith’s expression sobered to match his own. She nodded slowly. “I will.” She assured. 

Osferth moved across the small room and gently lowered Eadith down onto his bed. He hovered over her for a moment and kissed her slowly. He moved his lips to her neck and ran them across the soft skin of her throat and her collar. 

Eadith wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull him down towards her. He smiled and shook his head as he gently peeled her hands away. Keeping his eyes locked on her, Osferth slowly moved down to the foot of the bed. 

Eadith propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at him. “What are you doing?” She asked.

Osferth merely smiled. He placed a hand on her ankle and slowly began to push up her skirt. “There is more than one way to be with someone.” He moved his hand up Eadith’s leg and pushed her skirt up past her knees. “Is this alright?”

Eadith nodded.

He parted her legs. “Do you want me to stop?”

Eadith shook her head. “No.” Her voice was breathy with anticipation. 

“Then lay down.” He commanded. 

Eadith looked surprised by the authoritative tone in his voice but she did as she was told. 

He pressed his lips to her ankle and then slowly made his way up Eadith’s leg. Then higher and higher still, until he reached her inner thigh. Eadith let out a breathy moan and Osferth grinned like the devil himself. 

“Do you want me to stop?” He whispered once more.

“No-“ Eadith’s voice hitched, “Do not.”

He worked two fingers into her and he felt Eadith arch under his touch. He began a steady rhythm as his tongue flickered over her. He was focused entirely on her. Her wants. Her reactions. Each whimper brought Osferth satisfaction. He’d set out to please Eadith and there was gratification in knowing he was accomplishing his goal.

He felt Eadith’s hips rise to meet his mouth and he dug his fingers into the soft skin above her hipbones. Then she said his name. Something akin to a growl escaped from the back of Osferth’s throat as the sound rung in his ears. 

Eadith slid one of her hands through his hair. At first, her touch was gentle and caressing. But she soon began to pull at his hair. He could tell she was getting closer by the way she tugged harder and harder. 

Eadith cried out as she reached her peak and Osferth stilled as her body twitched under his hands. He kissed her inner thigh a few times for good measure before coming up from between her legs. 

He lay beside Eadith and watched as she slowly turned her head to look at him. Her cheeks were flush with pink and her breath was ragged.

“Osferth.”

“Yes, Lady?”

“Osferth, I’m beginning to think you’re not actually a virgin.” 

Osferth couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so hard.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a few more ideas for this series (which will also be full of tropes, I am sure) but am always open/happy to hear thoughts!!


End file.
